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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Joe Biden Lays Out COVID-19 Response Plan. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired October 23, 2020 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Inviting the virus into the White House, hosting what Dr. Fauci called a super-spreader event, endangering more people's lives by telling the public, don't worry, don't worry about the disease. Don't let it dominate you.

How many people, from Kristin in Arizona, will end up suffering because their loved one listened to the president?

Kristin said her dad voted for Trump, listened to him, believed him that the virus wasn't a big deal. Then her dad became infected and died. Kristin said her dad's only preexisting condition -- this is her quote -- the only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump -- end of quote.

Even after contracting the virus himself, Donald Trump still, still refuses to promote universal mask-wearing, which could have saved nearly 100,000 lives and could still save over 100,000 lives in the next few months.

The longer Donald Trump is president, the more reckless he gets. We don't have to be held prisoner by this administration's failures. We can choose a different path. We can do what Americans have always done, come together and meet the challenge with grit, compassion and determination.

And, today, I'm going to tell you exactly what I plan to do if I have the honor of being elected your next president. I'll immediately put in place a national strategy that will position our country to finally get ahead of this virus and get back our lives.

I'll reach out to every governor in every state, red and blue, as well as mayors and local officials, during transition to find out what support they need and how much of it they need.

I'll ask the new Congress to put a bill on my desk by the end of January with all the resources necessary to see how both our public health and our economic response can be seen through the end, what is needed.

Look, a pandemic doesn't play favorites, nor will I. As I said, no red states, no blue states, just the United States, united in our response, united in our purpose to stop the spread of COVID-19 and beat this virus.

First, I'll go to every governor and urge them to mandate mask-wearing in their states. And if they refuse, I'll go to the mayors and county executives and get local masking requirements in place nationwide.

As president, I'll mandate mask-wearing in all federal buildings and all interstate transportation, because masks save lives, period.

Just look what happened in Arizona. The Republican governor initially tried to bar local governments from implementing mandates on their communities. What happened? In June, Arizona got hit with a surge of cases. Hospitals were flooded. The state health system was overwhelmed.

So, cities and counties appealed the governor's ruling. They imposed their own local mandates covering most of the states. The result? Cases fell by 75 percent.

Wearing a mask is not a political statement. It's a scientific imperative. It's a point of patriotic pride, so we can pull our country out of this god-awful spiral we're in.

And it's a testament to the values we were taught by our families and by our faith, love thy neighbor as thyself.

Second, I'll put a national testing plan in place, with a goal of testing as many people each day as we're currently testing each week, a seven-fold increase.

There's a key difference in this campaign between Donald Trump and me. I believe in testing. Donald Trump does not. I believe in science. I believe in public health officials. I believe in the example of other countries, which prove that widespread testing is needed to regain the health of our nation, to reopen safely, and, critically, to stay open.

Every school, every worker, every American, should have easy access to regular, reliable, free testing. To achieve this, we need to increase both lab-based diagnostic testing, with the results back within 24 hours or less, and faster, cheaper screening tests that you could take right at home or in school.

Look, what we have right now isn't anywhere near good enough. States are still improvising on the fly. School districts are still mostly on their own. And many Americans still don't know when it's important to get a test or how.

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This isn't beyond our capacity to master, not if we're directing a coordinated effort across government and the private sector, instead of leaving chaos to reign.

We will manufacture the lab supplies needed to make sure we have enough tests. And we will tap more of our nation's lab capacity, so you can get your test results more quickly. We will build a national corps of contact tracers to work closely with trusted organizations in these communities that are most at risk.

We will also take steps to ensure that no one has to choose between getting a test and putting food on the table, look, and no one, no one is scared that being tested for COVID might jeopardize their immigration status. The only way we will defeat this virus is if we defeat it everywhere.

The third point I'd like to make is, we will close the personal protective equipment, to PPE gap, and get the gear out where it's needed. Every health care worker will have a reliable supply of properly fitted N95 masks. It's unconscionable that we are more than eight months into this crisis and front-line health care workers are still rationing their personal protective equipment.

As president, I'll use the full power of the Defense Production Act to drive the manufacturing of personal protective equipment, masks, gloves, gowns, and more, and ensure that it's distributed equitably.

Look, we won't stop until the nation's supply exceeds the demand and our stockpile is replenished, especially in hard-hit areas and in communities that are disproportionately impacted by the virus.

I will appoint a fully empowered -- I will appoint a fully empowered supply commander who's in charge of filling in the gaps. We will make sure we can manufacture critical supplies right here at home, so we're not dependent on other countries in this crisis.

Fourth, we will provide consistent, reliable, trusted, detailed nationwide guidance and technical support for reopening safely and the resources to make it happen. We need a single source of guidance that we can trust, where we know the information won't change by -- for any reason other than the science that guides it, not political expediency, not public image.

It won't be easy as to open or close. Social distancing isn't an on- or-off thing. And we're learning more every day about the virus and how it spreads. We need to be able to adapt and adjust our behavior to responsibly respond appropriately.

But schools and businesses can't be responsible -- make responsible decisions if they don't have the information, the science. It's not just more detailed, effective guidance they need. It's consultations and technical support, so people have a place to turn with their questions.

It's having a government that's in your corner, not a government that's turned its back on you. And once we get our federal, state and local governments working together, once there's universal masking, enough PPE and testing to go around, science-backed guidance to help us make the right decision, then we can get our kids back to school safely, our businesses growing, and our economy running again without wasting another minute.

As I said last night, I'm not going to shut down the economy. I'm not going to shut down the country. I'm going to shut down the virus.

And, finally, we will be focused on developing safe and effective treatments and distributing a safe and effective vaccine.

President Trump claims he found a cure. But let me tell you, yet we have 1,000 people dying each day. More than 40,000 people are in hospitals right now battling the virus. Lifesaving therapies shouldn't be just available to the wealthy, the well-connected. We need to make sure they're available that everybody, available and affordable.

And it's also possible we could learn any day that one of these vaccines currently in trial is showing itself to be effective. That will be a wonderful day for our people and people around the world everywhere, whether it comes next week or in the next two months.

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But it's still -- it will still be many months before any vaccine is widely available. And we need a president who will take responsibility for making sure it gets to every single person in this country in a way that's equitable and accountable.

We need a president who, in the meantime, is doing his job to protect the American people. Once we have a safe and effective vaccine, it has to be free to everyone, whether or not you're insured.

Let me say that again. The vaccine must be free and freely available to everyone. This is just not one more reason why it's so despicable that Donald Trump is fighting, in the middle of a pandemic, to get the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act, which I worked so damn hard to get the votes for.

Under the ACA, insurers are required to cover recommended vaccines for free. So, overturning the ACA would mean people have to pay to get the COVID-19 vaccine. That's wrong, very, very wrong.

Unlike Donald Trump, I believe health care isn't a privilege. I think it's a right. That's why, as president, I'll protect and build on the ACA by adding a public option that will compete with private plans to expand coverage and lower health care costs across the board.

I will bring down drug prices by allowing Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies. I'll make sure Americans have insurance -- those with insurance have access to free COVID-19 vaccine. And I'll direct the federal government to bulk-purchase as many doses as are necessary of the COVID-19 vaccine, so we can provide free to those who are uninsured underinsured, or Medicaid-eligible.

Throughout all this, throughout all this, yes, Mr. President, I'll listen to the scientists, and I'll empower them.

I know how much President Trump has damaged faith in our institutions, in our leaders, in government itself. We have to rebuild the trust between the public and its public servants. It's probably the most difficult task we will face in the coming years.

But, if I'm elected president, I'll always give it to you, as FDR said, straight from the shoulder. I'll deliver on my promises. I'll listen to the American people, no matter what their politics. I'll let the doctors and the scientists speak freely, so you can make

the best decision possible for yourself and for your family. And I won't let four years of Donald Trump rob us of the most fundamental American qualities, our hope in the future and our faith in ourselves.

We can beat this virus. We're not too divided to achieve big things. We're America. We can do this. We have never failed when we work together. Imagine, imagine a true nationally coordinated plan where we spared no expense, so our schools have the resources they need to reopen, with full health and safety protocols in place.

Imagine every small business getting a restart package that helps cover the cost of installing Plexiglas, providing PPE, and more to minimize the risk of exposure for customers and workers. Imagine older Americans and people with disabilities having the peace of mind that comes with trusting that the public health system is working for them.

Imagine, instead of staying locked up in their rooms, they're able to hug their grandchildren or other -- those who they love and haven't been able to see. Imagine, if you're a member of a community that has been hit particularly hard, black, Latino, Asian American, or Native Americans, imagine a public health and economic response that treats your needs as a priority, not as an afterthought.

Imagine a day in the not-too-distant future when you can enjoy dinner with your friends and your family, maybe even go out to a movie, when you can celebrate your birthday, weddings, graduations surrounded by your nearest and dearest friends.

That's the Biden/Harris agenda to beat COVID-19. It's going to take all of us working together. And that's not hyperbole, all of us working together, watching out for one another.

We are also going to have to wear a mask and practical social distancing a while longer. It's going to be hard. But, if we follow the science and keep faith with one another, with one another, I promise you we will get through this and come out the other side much faster than the rate we're going now.

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Look, you all know this. The American people have always given their best to this country in times of crisis. And this time isn't any different.

I'm not joking when I say this. I think every day about the brave doctors and nurses and hospital workers, police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and other first responders who, not figuratively, but literally are putting their lives on the line day in and day out to care for people.

I think of the essential workers who carried the rest of us on their shoulders through these many months, the grocery store clerks, the delivery clerks, the drivers, the folks on the assembly line, the meatpackers, and so many more, people too often overlooked, too often overlooked, undercompensated. They have given the best of their country when we needed them the most.

Think of the small businesses who moved heaven and earth to try to take care of their employees and keep their businesses open, and, sadly, of all those who couldn't because they didn't get the help they were promised.

I think of the parents juggling working from home with the added demands of overseeing their child's education. I think about the educators who are spending hours learning how to teach online. They're doing what they always do, giving above and beyond for their students.

I think of the families and the communities who stepped up, donating to charities, doing grocery runs for older relatives and neighbors, finding new ways to connect and support one another. That's the America we know. That's the United States of America. That's who we are.

And, like John -- John F. Kennedy, when he committed to take us to the moon, he said: "I refuse to postpone the possibilities that exist for this country."

I refuse to postpone, refuse to postpone the American purpose, and will not only lead our country back, but lead the entire world. There's no challenge, there's no challenge we cannot meet, no enemy we're unable to face, no threat we can't conquer. We stand together united, bound by our common resolve, determination and values.

Folks, together, we can harness the unlimited potential of the American people, not just to get back where we were before this virus hit us, but to get back better. I promise you, and you know in your heart, we can do this. We must do this. And we will do it together.

You know we can do it. This is the United States of America.

May God bless you all, and may God protect our front-line workers and all those who have lost a loved one.

Thank you. And keep the faith.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper.

You have been listening to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaking about the coronavirus pandemic. He was standing in Wilmington, Delaware, during this final 11-day stretch of the presidential race, Biden continuing to attempt to draw a contrast with President Trump over the issue of the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

That's a key division that was on display during last night's debate. Both candidates are claiming victory in that final debate, which was the last major opportunity for both Trump and Biden to make their closing arguments to tens of millions of voters at the same time.

CNN Arlette Saenz covers the Biden campaign for us, and she joins us live now. Arlette, hammering President Trump's coronavirus response, explaining how he would handle it differently, this has become perhaps the closing message for Joe Biden.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes, Joe Biden has been reliably consistent in trying to turn the coronavirus pandemic and the impacts that it has had on the economy into the defining issues of this campaign.

You heard that from him last night during the debate and again today, as he warned of this dark winter that is coming as the coronavirus progresses throughout the country.

He also once again was quite critical of the president's handling of the virus, saying that he has quit on America, quit on people, and has had no plan.

And what we also heard from Joe Biden today were some policy specifics, running through what he would do as president, Biden saying that he wouldn't wait until he was president to start working on this coronavirus pandemic issue, that he, during the transition, would start talking to governors to figure out what they need to help in their states, so that once he's in office, he can basically hit the ground running with being able to address those concerns.

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He's also saying that he's going to call for Congress to put a bill on his desk to address public health and economic resources that are needed to get the country through this virus.

Biden also talked a little bit about that mask mandate. He's acknowledged that he can't mandate mask-wearing for everyone. But in the speech, he said that he would go to governors. And if the governors would not require masks in their states, he would go to mayors and local officials to get that done, in addition to mandating masks in federal buildings.

Now, one other interesting note was the way that Biden talked about vaccines. He tied this back to the Affordable Care Act, as President Trump and Republicans are pretty firm in their desire to try to dismantle Obamacare.

Biden pointed out that the Affordable Care Act covers vaccines. And if the Affordable Care Act is dismantled, that would mean that people would have to pay for their vaccines. Biden wants to ensure that vaccines will be free for all Americans, so they would have access to that in this critical time of the pandemic, once the vaccine is approved.

But one of Biden's overarching messages here was that he would rely on science. You have heard the president mock Biden for listening to scientists. And the Biden campaign essentially says, yes, that's true, we will listen to the scientists, because that is what needs to guide the response throughout this coronavirus pandemic. And he also talked -- you heard Biden talking about the need for

everyone to work together, consider the people around you. Mask- wearing is going to be critical to get out of this crisis, he says, and to just think about the ways that Americans all need to work together to try to address this pandemic, Biden really keeping his focus in the closing days of this campaign, as they believe this will pay off with voters -- Jake.

TAPPER: All right, Arlette Saenz, thanks so much.

Let's bring in Dr. Peter Hotez. He's the co-director for the Vaccine Development Center at Texas Children's Hospital. He's also dean at Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Hotez, Joe Biden said that he would push for quicker lab results, a national contact tracing network, and more PPE, personal protective equipment, for health care professionals. Is that -- are we not doing that enough? What do you think? What's your analysis of those proposals?

DR. PETER HOTEZ, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: Well, Jake, my big picture is that I thought this was an extremely important speech.

And it was important for two major reasons. The first is the timing. This is a terrible day. We just hit 75,000 new cases in the United States, which is the second highest number ever in this pandemic, so -- in the United States.

So we are looking at an awful, awful fall/winter surge, and we need some guidance and direction that we haven't been getting.

The other reason terms of the timing is because it also coincides with the new report from the Institute for Health Metrics that we're probably looking at 511,000 American deaths by February 28, unless we do something.

And the report also finds that, if we can ensure 95 percent wearing of masks, we can save 130,000 American lives. This is serious stuff, so, that first of all, the timing was very important. And, second, this is the first time we have really heard about a national plan, a national road map.

This is what we have been suffering because of not having from this current administration. In the White House, there never was a national plan. It was letting the states take the lead. The U.S. government did provide some backup manufacturing support for ventilators and PPE, but no direct guidance, which is what we needed.

And the states never had the epidemiologic horsepower to know how to control this epidemic. This is why we needed the full force of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide the guidance and directives on how to do that. The governors and the states never knew how to do this.

And this is one of the major reasons why we have now 220,000 deaths, with those horrible projections. And, also, the masks were never encouraged. And we heard from the vice president, from Joe Biden, that he is going to contact these individual governors. And the reason why that's so important is because we just -- last night, we had the South Dakota governor send out that tragic tweet.

Even though they are in the epicenter of this epidemic right now, and hundreds of South Dakotans are about to lose their lives, she's still not going to encourage mask-wearing. She's saying that interferes with individual freedoms.

I mean, come on. We are 10 months into this horrible epidemic, and she has the ability to save hundreds, maybe thousands of lives of South Dakotans, and still clings to these fake ideas of health freedom and medical freedom, as they call it, or discrediting masks and fake concepts of herd immunity. This has to stop.

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TAPPER: Yes.

HOTEZ: And the only way we're -- clearly, the only way this is going to happen is if we get some big change in leadership in Washington.

TAPPER: Well, I want to ask you about that, because, obviously, the American people are looking at the choice they have in front of them, President Trump or Joe Biden, for direction and leadership in this crisis.

Coronavirus cases are up in 32 states. Daily cases, as you just noted, hit 71,000 yesterday. That's the highest number we have had since July, the number of hospitalizations in the U.S. reached 41,000. That's a two-month high.

And, tragically, the weekly average of deaths caused by coronavirus is around 760. That's the highest weekly average we have had in a month. You have you have been warning of a worsening pandemic in winter months.

Last night, we heard Joe Biden say that a dark winter is coming. And we also heard President Trump say that we're turning the corner. Who's right?

HOTEZ: Vice President Biden is correct.

Vice President Biden is following what the scientists have been telling him now for months, that we are in the middle of the beginning of our third big peak, where the projections, as I have indicated, hundreds of thousands of more American deaths.

Look, I understand everyone's exhausted, everyone's fatigued by a whole year of COVID-19. But the reality is that the worst could be yet to come and that the beginning has been more or less the warmup act for what's about to hit. And we're already seeing that across the Northern states.

If you look at a COVID-19 heat map, the whole northern part is lit up from Idaho all the way to Minnesota and Wisconsin. And it's going to continue like that. It's about to move into -- it'll go into the Northeast and will likely occupy the entire nation.

And the numbers, the projections are real; 511,000 Americans will have died by February 28 unless there's an intervention. To give you a comparison, the horrible 1918 flu pandemic, that historic pandemic, that killed 640,000 Americans.

So, we are reaching those kinds of numbers. And unless we have national guidance, we will almost certainly head towards that point. The one thing I am worried about is, even if the vice president wins the election, it's still January 20 before he gets up and we start all of this.

And how do we navigate the post-election period, that lame-duck period? I'm really worried for the nation over that time?

TAPPER: Well, and we also don't know who's going to win. I mean, that's another matter altogether.

Dr. Peter Hotez, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

While Joe Biden details his coronavirus proposal, President Trump is about to hold a campaign rally at one of the largest retirement communities in the country, yes, an area home to people who are some of the most vulnerable to the virus. He's holding an event there, a rally there. That's right.

And that's next.

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